Scrolling 2 Death

Nicki Petrossi
  • 4.7 (50)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Scrolling 2 Death is a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. Through interviews with parents and experts, we explore smartphone use, screen time, school-issued devices, social media use and so much more.

  1. The Heat is On...Apple (powered by child sexual abuse)

    5h ago

    The Heat is On...Apple (powered by child sexual abuse)

    Apple has built its brand on privacy, trust, and innovation. But when it comes to protecting children, has the company done enough? In this episode of The Heat Is On, hosts Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner examine Apple's long and controversial history with child safety. While Apple recently announced new parental controls and family safety features at WWDC 2026, critics say the company continues to ignore one of the most urgent child protection issues on its platform: the presence of known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in iCloud. Sarah shares her decade-long experience pushing Apple to address the problem, including behind-the-scenes conversations with the company, Apple's abandoned 2021 CSAM detection initiative, and the ongoing debate between privacy and child protection. The discussion also explores Apple's role in hosting AI nudify apps, concerns about App Store safety, and the direct-action campaigns that have brought survivors, advocates, and national media attention to Apple's doorstep. Sign the petition asking Apple to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material. The hosts break down Apple's latest child safety announcements, what they could mean for families, and why advocates say parents should wait for independent testing before assuming the new protections will work as promised. If one of the world's most powerful technology companies can't find a way to protect both privacy and children, what does that mean for the rest of the tech industry? In this episode: Apple's history of refusing to detect known CSAM in iCloudWhy child safety advocates supported Apple's abandoned 2021 detection planThe scale of online child sexual abuse material and its impact on survivorsApple's App Store, AI nudify apps, and deepfake child exploitation concernsThe direct-action campaigns pressuring Apple to changeA breakdown of Apple's newly announced parental controls and safety featuresWhat parents should know before trusting Big Tech's safety promises The Heat is On is a Scrolling 2 Death production in partnership with Heat Initiative. Editing provided by Jacob Meade.

    33 min

  2. May 25

    New Data Exposes the School Tech Crisis (with Titania Jordan)

    When schools hand children Chromebooks, iPads, Google accounts, and Microsoft Teams access, what’s really happening behind the screen? In this eye-opening conversation, Titania Jordan joins Nicki Petrossi to reveal alarming new data from Bark Technologies’s monitoring of school-issued technology used by millions of students across the U.S. The findings are staggering: 12% of children encountered cyberbullying 3.74% encountered instances of depression7.46% encountered discussion or content related to suicidal ideation, imminent suicide or self-harm39.83% of students encountered violent content22% were exposed to drug-related content10.77% encountered sexual content11.64% encountered medically-concerning content2.69% encountered hate speech0.23% encountered body image content1.79% encountered anxiety-related content They discuss how students are using Google Docs like disappearing-message apps, why schools are struggling to keep up, and what parents can do right now to better protect their children. This episode is a wake-up call for parents, educators, school administrators, and policymakers about the unintended consequences of putting addictive, poorly protected technology into children’s hands. Get Bark for Schools (for free!) Get the Bark Phone Parents Templates and Resources at Tech-Safe Learning

    24 min
  3. The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: Beyond the Headlines (with Kaley’s lead attorney Mark Lanier)

    May 18

    The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: Beyond the Headlines (with Kaley’s lead attorney Mark Lanier)

    Legendary trial attorney Mark Lanier joins Nicki and Sarah for an emotional, behind-the-scenes look at the landmark social media addiction trial that ended in a jury verdict against Meta and YouTube. For nearly two months, we sat inside the Los Angeles courtroom documenting every moment — filling 589 pages of notes as grieving parents, advocates, reporters, jurors, and teams of attorneys battled over one central question: did these platforms knowingly build products that addict children, like Kaley? In this deeply personal interview, Mark breaks down exactly how the case was won, why Snapchat and TikTok settled just before trial, and what the jury ultimately decided about Kaley, the young woman at the center of the case. He also reveals shocking moments the public never saw — defense witnesses backing out, chaos inside the courthouse, the strategy behind avoiding a billion-dollar “runaway verdict,” and the cross-examinations that changed everything. The episode also revisits some of the most unforgettable lines from the trial, responding directly to claims made in court by executives and attorneys from Meta and YouTube. But this conversation is bigger than one verdict. It’s about children, addiction, grief, corporate power, and the parents fighting back against trillion-dollar tech companies. Mark shares what he believes this case means for the future of Big Tech accountability, why he calls it a defining trial of the 21st century, and the message he hopes families around the world take away from Kaley's story. The episode closes with a powerful discussion about parenting, love, and why human connection may be the strongest defense families have against platforms designed to exploit vulnerability. If you followed this trial in real time — or if you’re just beginning to understand what these platforms are doing to children — this is an episode you won’t forget. Here's a link to the actual verdict forms that the jury completed. Video Editing expertly provided by Jacob Meade.

    56 min

  4. May 11

    The Canvas Breach: 275 Million People at Risk (with attorney Andy Liddell)

    When parents log into Canvas, they expect homework assignments and grades — not ransom notes. In this urgent episode, I spoke with attorney Andrew Liddell about the massive alleged breach involving Instructure and its learning management platform, Canvas, reportedly affecting thousands of schools and millions of students, teachers, and college faculty worldwide. Here's a full list of the 8,000+ schools which were affected. Andy breaks down: What Canvas is and why it’s used in so many schoolsHow enormous amounts of student data are collected and sharedWhat allegedly happened in the breachWhy hackers targeted this informationWhat exposed school data could mean for families long-termWhy schools are becoming “soft targets” for cyberattacksWhat parents should do right now if their child’s school uses Canvas The conversation also goes beyond this single breach and explores a larger question: Have schools quietly normalized mass surveillance of children through EdTech? Andy explains why privacy isn’t just about secrecy — it’s about childhood itself. “Privacy is the soil in which we grow.” This episode is essential listening for parents, teachers, school administrators, and anyone concerned about the growing role of Big Tech in education. Contact Andy's team at edtech.law to find out more about this lawsuit and others. Here's a direct link to their lawsuit against Instructure.

    25 min

  5. May 4

    This Isn't a Parenting Problem (with Glen Pounder of Scouting America)

    When kids are harmed online, the first question people ask is: “Where were the parents?” In this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, we challenge that instinct—and expose why it is doing more harm than good. Scrolling 2 Death host Nicki Petrossi is joined by Glen Pounder, Executive Vice President and Chief Safeguarding Officer at Scouting America, to unpack one of the most persistent myths in child safety: that better parenting can prevent online harm. Drawing from his 30-year career combating crimes against children—and his recent article “The Comfort of Blame – and the Limits of Even the Best Parenting”—Glen shares what he’s seen firsthand: families who did everything right… and still had children targeted, groomed, and exploited online. This conversation goes beyond surface-level advice and into the uncomfortable truth: Why parent blame is so appealing—and so dangerousHow exploitation actually happens, even in attentive householdsThe hidden cost of shame, silence, and misplaced responsibilityAnd why this is not a parenting failure—it’s a systems failure In the wake of major legal battles involving Meta and YouTube, this episode asks a harder question: Who really benefits when we keep blaming parents instead of holding platforms accountable? Because while families are being told to “do more,” tech companies continue to design environments that make harm easier—and harder to detect. If we want to actually protect kids, we have to move beyond blame… and start demanding better systems. #MyFriendToo Resource for Youth

    32 min

  6. Apr 27

    Does i-Ready Work? A Neuroscientist Weighs In (with Dr. Jared Cooney-Horvath)

    In this eye-opening conversation, Nicki Petrossi sits down with neuroscientist Jared Cooney-Horvath to unpack the claims behind i-Ready—one of the most widely used EdTech tools in U.S. classrooms. What starts as a discussion of Nicki’s data privacy lawsuit quickly expands into a deeper investigation: does i-Ready actually help kids learn? Jared breaks down the startling lack of credible, peer-reviewed research supporting i-Ready’s effectiveness, explaining how most claims rely on weak comparisons or company-backed studies. He reveals why “time on task” can be misleading, how EdTech companies shape persuasive narratives without solid evidence, and why human-led instruction consistently outperforms digital tools when it comes to real learning. Together, they connect the dots between data privacy concerns and academic outcomes—arguing that if a product isn’t meaningfully improving learning, schools must question why it’s being used at all. The episode also explores the growing national momentum among parents, teachers, and districts pushing back on excessive screen time and demanding accountability from EdTech companies. If you’ve ever wondered what’s really behind the tools your child is required to use in school, this conversation gives you the data—and the questions—you need to start pushing for answers. Jared's Substack: i-Ready: 13 Million Students, Zero Meaningful Evidence Parent-Teacher i-Ready Resource

    30 min

  7. Apr 22

    MINI EPISODE: LAUSD Passes Landmark School Screen Policy (with Lila Byock)

    In this mini-episode of Scrolling 2 Death, Nicki brought in Lila Byock to break down a major victory: the Los Angeles Unified School District has unanimously passed a sweeping new technology policy that limits screen use for students. After months of relentless advocacy from parents and teachers, the district is eliminating devices for its youngest learners, restricting platforms like YouTube, and setting clear screen time boundaries. They discuss what passed and how this moment could spark a nationwide shift in how schools use technology—and how you can bring these changes to your own district. LAUSD's new policy linked here Sign up at Schools Beyond Screens

    8 min

  8. Apr 6

    I've sued i-Ready | Answering your questions (with attorney Andy Liddell)

    So…I’ve sued another EdTech company. Here's a direct link to information on the lawsuit. This time, it’s Curriculum Associates — the multi-billion-dollar maker of i-Ready, used by more than 14 million children in grades K–8, including my own. In this episode, I break down why we’ve filed a lawsuit alleging that Curriculum Associates’ core business model depends on harvesting massive amounts of student data, monetizing it, and allegedly sharing children’s personal information with dozens of third parties for commercial purposes. We further allege the company builds deeply invasive psychological and behavioral profiles on students — profiles that can follow them and potentially harm them. I never consented to this. And neither did millions of parents. Sending our children to public school is a legal right. We should not have to expose them to commercial data trafficking just to get an education. With the average school district using thousands of EdTech tools each year — and each child accessing dozens — the question isn’t whether this is happening. The question is whether parents ever gave meaningful, informed consent. Joining me is Andy Liddell, attorney with the EdTech Law Center, to answer the questions flooding in from parents and teachers: What exactly are we alleging?What data is actually being collected?Is academic growth tracking the same as data mining?Can parents opt out?Is this a class action?What can teachers do?And what do we say to critics who claim this is just fear-mongering? If you’re a parent, teacher, or school leader, this conversation is one you cannot afford to miss. If you’re interested in learning more or potentially joining an EdTech-related lawsuit, visit: edtech.law. Because this isn’t just about i-Ready. It’s about whether our children’s data belongs to them — or to corporations.

    18 min
See All (318)

4.7
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Scrolling 2 Death is a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. Through interviews with parents and experts, we explore smartphone use, screen time, school-issued devices, social media use and so much more.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicki Petrossi
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    318
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicki Petrossi
  • Show Website
    Scrolling 2 Death

You Might Also Like